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The fast developing storm was expected to bring “unprecedented” amounts of rain to several island countries.

ByMcKinnon de Kuyper

Direct landfalls from big hurricanes are rare for Jamaica. Melissa could pummel the island as an “upper-end” Category 4 hurricane, forecasters said.

ByNazaneen Ghaffar

Melissa grew from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in a matter of hours.

ByErin McCann

The base commander on Saturday expanded a previous evacuation order to include “non-mission-essential U.S. citizens.”

ByCarol Rosenberg

After it lashes the Caribbean this weekend, there’s still uncertainty about where the storm will go next. Here are the scenarios, one day at a time.

ByJudson Jones

Three photographers were able to capture the red sprite phenomenon, when lightning flashes above thunderstorms, in high definition against the Milky Way.

ByFrancesca Regalado

Melissa is moving at a sluggish pace and could dump a lot of rain in one place. Jamaica and Haiti are likely to see the most.

ByAmy Graff

Sulawesi, Indonesia, blurs the boundaries between myth and ecology. What might it reveal about our past – or destiny?

Photographs and Text byBalarama Heller

Officials across the Caribbean prepare for days of heavy rain from the storm.

ByAimee Ortiz

ByCarol Rosenberg